Improved railed ad switch



@uiten gratas' @anni @Hirn L M. `Barri?, Vor GANTON, OHIO. L l LettersPatent No. 66,283, dated July 2, 186:7; antedated Juize 12, 1867.

IllLIPROVEl) RAILROAD SWITCH.

@its ,Sapman nient tu in tiges: @Enters @anni mit mating pnt nf figesame.

TQ ALIi WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, L. M. BATTY, of Canton, in the county of Stark,andState of Ohio, have invented a new and useful improvement in RailroadSafety'Switches; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of thesame, reference being had to the ao'ompanying drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specication,in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of the working parts. Y I l y Figures2 and 3 are side elevations of the same; .and

Figure 4 is a detached sectional` view of a cover hereafter described.My improvement relates to an arrangement of `devices applied `to theswitch-lever and connecting-rod in l common use, by which I make a cheapand eifective switch, in which I obtain all the advantages'that havebeen claimed by inventors of safety switches, with less expense than isrequired to construct the ordinary switches i in common use. Y l v i Infigs. 1, 2, and 3, A represents a railroad tie, to which a cast-ironpost, B, is bolted orotherwise fastened, which takes the place of theordinary frameworlcused-in the'cons'truction of switches, and to whichthe switchlever Clie hung in the usual manner, connecting as usual withthe connecting-rod D. `A treadle, E, is also attachedto the post B by aiiexible joint. 4 The connecting-'rod D being attached to theswitch-rails 1 and 2 in the usual way, has secured on it an adjustableplate, F, having a notch, a, in the centre of itsupper edge, whichreceives th inner end of the treadle, and thereby fastens theswitch-'rails to their proper place whenthe switch' is closed, as seenvin gs. 1 and 2. The notched plate .F is also supplied with lugs b,against which the inner end of the treadle operates as a stop when theswitch is opened in either direction, as seen in fig.` 3. The lugs b maybe placed at anyf distance from the notch a, so that the switch-rails1and 2 may be placed at two, three, or more different tracks 1n the usualway. A spring, G, secured under the vpos t B, operates on. the treadle Eto keep its inner end in the notch a. The upright shaft I-I operates asalook to secure the switch from being opened by any one but theoperator. The upper end of this shaft, being ittedto a turn-key, passesup through a box or hole, c, in the top of the cover M, shown in g..4.It also has a lug, d, on its lower end, which, to lock the switch, isturned around underand' at right angles with the treadle- E, as seen infig. 2, and to'unloolr the f switch the lug is'turned around, as seen ing. 3. The .foot-piece of the treadle E is supplied with a loop, I,placed over the part lled by Vthe instep of the operators foot, whichloop may be secured directly to Ythe footpiece, but is here attached toa spring, J, which is adjustably secured to the inner end of thefootlpiece, as shownin figs. 2 and 3.- A grapple, or more properly a,hinged stop, K, being hinged at e, andbeing a continuous piece of iron,has its inner end `passed through a slothole,f, in the treadle-E, andhaving' its outer part pass upward out and around the outer end of thetreadle, as shown in the drawings. The cover. shown in fig. 4 is securedover'the outer end of the treadle E, with all its appendages, includingthe lock H, and thereby protecting them. from accidents, and from theaccumulation of s'now and ice. v'.lhe' cover is alsol supplied with alid, L, as shown in iig. 4.

i To open the switch the operator unlocks it as above described, andraising `the lid L with his foot or other-` wise, and placing his footunder the loop I, and upon the foot-piece of the treadle E,l,presses itdown and thereby relieves the inner end ofthe treadle from the notch a,and causes the outer end of the' hinged stop K to rise up around thesides and back of the operators heel or ankle. The switchis then openedinthe usual manner, as shown in fig. 3. Meanwhile the operator-s footbeing held by means o f the loop I and the hinged stop K, he is obligedto remain at his post with one foot in a trap and the other onsterajirmauntil the train is passed, when r he can close the switch, look it, andleave at his leisure. l y l The object of placing the loop I on aspring, as above described, is to allow the operator to' extricate hisfoot in case of impending danger by a sudden jerk of the foot ofsuicient force to overcome the elasticity of the spring. The advantagesof this switch are already mentioned in the'premises. p

I do not claim priority in c onstrnnting a safety switch oi' any kind,for I am awa-re that it has been -done by Milton Ball and others. Y' .i

What I claim as my improvement, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

l. I claim the combination of the lever C, the post B, theconnecting-rod D, and the trudle E, in the manner and for the purposeherein described.

2. Iolavim the adjustable plate F, with its lugs I1 and notch a, wheneombincd with the treadle E and connectingaod D, in the manner and forthe purpose heroin described.

v 3. I claim the treadie E, when ombined with the several devices H, I,J, K, e, andf, in the manner and for the purposes herein set forth.

.4. I claim the casing M, surrounding the outer port of the treadlo D,to protect the tren-die and devices H, I, J, K, e, andf from injury, as-nd for the purposes heroin set forth. I

v L. M. BATTY.

Witnesses:

C. M. PALMER, E. N. BEEBOUT.

